Abstract
This review summarizes the literature evidence on humoral disturbances in arterial hypertension (AH), as well as on AH interrelationship with individual components of metabolic syndrome (MS). Based on the results of multi-centre randomised trials, the rationale for the use of antihypertensive agents with favourable metabolic profile is demonstrated, in particular, for antagonists of slow calcium channels, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and selective imidazoline receptor agonists.